When my old PC (which was a high-end gaming PC a couple of years ago, by the way) suddenly started displaying 20 FPS in a Master elo ranked game, I freaked out.
I ended up losing the game but I learned how you can fix the issue of having low FPS in League of Legends despite playing the game on a good high-end PC.
Here’s what you should know.
Many different factors can cause low Frame Rate, or FPS, in League of Legends.
The most common reasons why new and good PC systems display low FPS in LoL are that the graphics card isn’t actually updated/in use, or you have corrupt game files.
Updating your drivers and repairing the game may fix the issue.
I know this may all sound generic and boring, but trust me, it’s worth doing. And don’t worry, I’ll walk you step by step to make sure that you do everything you need to do to fix the low FPS numbers in LoL on your good high-end PC.
Let’s start!
How to Fix the Low FPS on Good High-End PC in LoL?
1. Update Your Graphics Card Driver
First things first, we have to make sure that your graphics card is up to date. Older versions and aged graphics card drivers may cause all kinds of problems in video games, especially FPS drops.
Mainly, you have two ways of updating your graphics card driver. You can go with the first method on any PC. But if you’re using a GeForce graphics card, it’s better to go with the second one.
Read Also: How To Replay and Skip the Tutorial in LoL?
Use Device Manager
If you’ve never used Device Manager, simply click on your Start button and type “Device Manager.” When the new window opens, select the “Display Adapters” option. Here you can see your graphics card.
Next, right-click on your graphics card and choose to update the driver. The system will ask you to decide whether you want to update it manually or automatically. I recommend choosing automatically since it’s less of a hustle. Once it’s done, simply close the window and restart your PC.
Use GeForce Experience
GeForce Experience is a software you can use to enhance the performance of your graphics card. Unfortunately, only the Nvidia graphics cards are compatible with it, so you can’t access it if you’re using AMD or something else.
But if you use GeForce Experience, simply click on the “Drivers” tab, next to “Home” in the top left corner. If your graphics card driver isn’t up to date, the program will display a large notification and a large “Download” button. Here you can quickly download and install your latest driver.
Updating your graphics card driver doesn’t guarantee that you will fix the “low FPS on a good PC in LoL” problem. But it’s the first step you need to take to solve it.
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2. Check if Your Graphics Card is in Use
If updating your drivers didn’t solve the problem for you, it may be because your PC doesn’t actually use your graphics card to run League of Legends.
What do I mean by this?
Well, most Intel processors out there come with an integrated graphics card. And if your CPU is Intel, the chances are that you have an integrated graphics card too. These are especially common in laptops, but they aren’t uncommon in PCs either.
The integrated graphics cards are very basic, weak, and can’t handle too much work. You can use them for everyday things such as going through folders or searching the internet, but not much else. Their purpose is to let you use your PC or laptop when your regular graphics card stops working.
I remember when the graphics card on my old laptop finally died, I couldn’t even get 15 FPS in LoL. And the laptop would automatically shut down after a minute or two of playing.
But if you’re using a good PC and you still have low FPS in LoL, chances are that you might not even use your regular graphics card. And your PC is set to use the integrated one instead.
To solve this, open your Nvidia Control Panel by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting it. In the new window, click on “Manage 3D Settings”.
Next, scroll down in the list of settings and find the “OpenGL rendering GPU” one. Here, make sure that your graphics card is selected. If you have more two or more, just choose the one you want to use for League of Legends. Then hit “Apply,” and you’re done.
You don’t want this setting to be on “Auto-select”! And if you don’t specify which graphics card you want to use, your PC may choose the integrated one.
Read Also: How to Get Chests in League of Legends the Fastest Way?
3. Fully Repair League of Legends and the Client
If none of the solutions fixed your “low FPS in LoL on a good PC” problem, you should fully repair the game and the client. Like I mentioned above, you may have one or many corrupt files that cause your low FPS.
Corrupt files are damaged files that don’t work correctly. A file can get corrupted in a number of different ways, so we can’t really control that. But if we repair the game, all the files will be installed anew, and there won’t be any corrupt ones in your system.
So, how do you repair League of Legends? Here are all the steps:
- Login into the League of Legends client with your username and password.
- Click on the Settings button in the top right corner of the client window.
- Select the General settings from the list on the left.
- Scroll down and choose “Initiate Full Repair.”
- Click “Yes” to agree.
Once you initiate the full repair process, the client itself will do everything. It will automatically delete the files and reinstall them on its own. The process takes anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes, depending on your CPU and your internet.
When the repair is done, I strongly recommend you restart your PC, just to refresh your system.
But if the repair doesn’t solve your “low FPS on a good PC in LoL” issue, then you might have other problems on your hands.
Read Also: How to Get RP and RP Gift Cards in League of Legends?
4. Check if Your PC Has Heating Problems
Heating is one of the biggest problems for all gaming PCs and all gamers. The heavier the game is the harder it is for your PC to run. And the harder the game is for running, the sooner your PC starts to heat up and slow down, resulting in low FPS.
League of Legends isn’t a heavy game by all means. But it can definitely cause some heating problems, especially if you’re playing for more than a few hours.
So, what can you do here?
Fortunately, you can easily discover if your PC has heating problems or not. Just touch your computer case or your laptop to check if it’s hot. It’s normal for a system to be warm while on. But if the heat is really high, then your graphics card is definitely overheating.
So, how do you fix this?
The first thing to do here is to shut down your PC. The heat will go away once your PC is not in use.
Second, you’ll need to clean your fans and vets from dust, dirt, and hairs. When your computer is clogged, it’s difficult for your fans and vents to generate enough airflow and keep it cool. So open up your computer and clean everything with a soft and dry tissue (paper towel). You can also use your vacuum cleaner to suck the dust before you even open the computer case.
If you’re playing League of Legends on a laptop, you could also buy an external laptop cooler. These are just plastic or metallic pads that you put under your laptop and connect them with a USB port. And they have fans that will directly cool the processor and graphics card of your laptop.
I’d definitely suggest you buy a laptop cooler with fans that would go directly under your graphics card. Look for laptop coolers with large and powerful fans or as many fans as possible.
Read Also: How to Report Players in League of Legends?
5. Clean Up Your Registry
Everything you do on your PC matters. For example, each time you add an app or install something new, it makes changes to your system. This also includes League of Legends and all other games you might have on your PC.
Unnecessary files can really slow everything down and cause you to have low FPS even if you have a high-end PC. So, removing them should also be one of your priorities.
If you’ve never cleaned your registry, I’d suggest you use software for it. And the most popular one is CCleaner. CCleaner is software that’s very easy to use and can improve your PC performance. It does many different things, including cleaning your registry. It will take rid of all unnecessary files and make your PC generally faster.
But if you don’t like to clog your system with more external programs, you can clean your registry yourself. Here’s how to do so in Windows 10.
- Open “This PC”.
- Right click on “C” or “D” registry and select “Properties”.
- Click on “Disc Cleanup”.
- Select all files to get deleted except “Downloads” (optional).
- Hit “Ok” and wait for the process to finish.
There are many different methods of cleaning the registry on your PC besides these two. Here’s a YouTube guide if you need further help with cleaning up your registry.
6. Remove All Unnecessary Programs
Like I mentioned above, everything you install on your PC slows it down. And it’s always recommended for you uninstall and delete all programs and games that you don’t really use.
If you really have a high-end PC in LoL with tons of SSD memory, you won’t need to do this. But the lower your specs are, the more important it is to have a clean system.
Uninstalling and deleting programs and games is a piece of cake in Windows 10. Just open up your Control Panel and select Uninstall a Program. Then search the list for programs and games that you don’t really use. When you find them, just click Uninstall.
Once you’re done, you can also go to the program’s directory and delete any file that might be left there to make sure the uninstall is clean.
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Best Settings for High FPS in League of Legends
If you’ve done everything else you can to fix the low FPS in League of Legends besides the settings, now is the time to do so. The game settings are what determine how smooth your game will run after all. So, what are the best settings for playing League of Legends on high FPS?
Here I will present to you 3 setting options optimized for 3 types of PCs.
Keep in mind that the focus here is to increase the FPS only, which may also lower the quality of the games’ graphics.
Low-End PC – Best Settings for High FPS in LoL
| Type of Setting | Set to |
| Resolution | Monitor Resolution |
| Window Mode | Windowed or Full Screen |
| Graphics | Custom |
| Character Quality | Low |
| Environment Quality | Low or Medium |
| Effects Quality | Low |
| Shadows | Off |
| Character Inking | Off |
| Frame Rate | Uncapped |
| Anti-Aliasing | Off |
| Vertical Sync | Off |
Here are some of my recommendations if you’re looking to buy a brand new PC or upgrade your existing PC for League of Legends while on a tight budget. These may not give you an optimal experience but they will run LoL smoothly and with relatively high FPS.
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Mid-Range PC – Best Settings for High FPS in LoL
| Type of Setting | Set to |
| Resolution | Monitor Resolution |
| Window Mode | Full Screen |
| Graphics | Custom |
| Character Quality | Medium |
| Environment Quality | Low or Medium |
| Effects Quality | Low or Medium |
| Shadows | Off |
| Character Inking | Off |
| Frame Rate | Uncapped |
| Anti-Aliasing | Off |
| Vertical Sync | Off |
If you’re not on a tight budget and you have some money to spend, I’d recommend you these brand-new PCs and parts for upgrading your existing PC. These will give you a super smooth experience and will run League of Legends with high FPS and without a problem.
High-End PC – Best Settings for High FPS in LoL
| Type of Setting | Set to |
| Resolution | Monitor Resolution |
| Window Mode | Full Screen |
| Graphics | Custom |
| Character Quality | High |
| Environment Quality | Medium |
| Effects Quality | Medium |
| Shadows | Off |
| Character Inking | Off |
| Frame Rate | Uncapped |
| Anti-Aliasing | Off |
| Vertical Sync | Off |
And these are my recommendation for people who’re looking to buy or upgrade their existing PCs to the high-end. These PCs and parts will give you the ultimate League of Legends experience with no FPS drops for years to come.
What to Do if You Can’t Fix the Low FPS in LoL?
Is this everything you can do to solve the FPS problem in LoL?
Of course not! In fact, there are dozens of different things you can try.
For example, you can scan your system and look if there is a virus causing malfunctioning. You can also use defragmentation or even set the video settings of League of Legends on low. However, these don’t “specifically” solve the issue if you have it on a relatively good PC.
I still recommend you to give every option a shot, just to make sure that you’ve done everything you can. And if you still can’t fix the problem, then it may be time to start thinking about a new PC. Or at least a new graphics card.
To help you figure things from here, I’ve put together a simple chart of the minimum and recommended specs you must have in order to run LoL. Check if your system matches the specifications!
Minimum and Recommended System Requirements for League of Legends in 2023
| Minimum specs for LoL in 2023 | Recommended specs for LoL in 2023 |
| CPU: 2Ghz processor | CPU: 3Ghz processor or better |
| RAM: 2GB | RAM: 4GB |
| SPACE: 14GB space available on your hard disk | SPACE: 14GB space available on your hard disk |
| GPU: Shader version 2.0 capable video card | GPU: Nvidia GeForce 8800 or AMD Radeon HD 5670 or better |
| OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 | OS: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 |
| SCREEN RESOLUTION: up to 1980×1200 | SCREEN RESOLUTION: up to 1980×1200 |
If you run an older version of Windows on your PC, chances are you won’t need to change it. The same goes for your screen resolution. But if your CPU or GPU is below the minimum or the recommended requirements, FPS drops are expected.
Read Also: How to Watch Old & Expired Replays in League of Legends?
Other Related Questions
LoL CPU or GPU Intensive?
League of Legends is more CPU intensive than GPU. This is the case for all other MOBA and RTS games. If you have a high-end CPU, your PC will run League of Legends smoothly even with a not-so-expensive GPU.
Does 60Hz Monitor Limit FPS in LoL?
Playing League of Legends on 60Hz does limit FPS. Even if the Frame Rate setting is set to “Uncapped” and the game is running at 200 FPS, your 60Hz monitor won’t be able to display them. You can turn Vsync On to lock your FPS at 60 if you want. And if you want to see more than 60 FPS in LoL, a 144Hz monitor is a must.
What is the Best FPS for League of Legends?
The higher the FPS number in League of Legends is the better. And anything above 120 FPS is a great number for LoL. But this also means that you should definitely have a 144Hz monitor (or better) and your Frame Rates uncapped. You can definitely go over that but it isn’t necessary. The best gameplay in LoL can be achieved at 120 FPS.
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Conclusion
If you just found out that your PC isn’t considered “good” anymore, I know how you feel. And I can’t think of any advice other than to consider buying you a new gaming PC that meets the 2023 League of Legends standards.
On the other hand, if you tried only one or all methods I explained above and found your fix, I’m happy to help! The “Low fps and a good PC in LoL” isn’t such a common problem, but it still happens to many of us.
Now jump into a game and own!
For more info, visit Riot’s official response to low FPS troubleshooting in League of Legends.
